Marya

A kouign aman is a very rich pastry from Brittany. Thank you for a very entertaining blog. Your youth is refreshing. Your adventures are great reading.

To my knowlege you will always get a drop in BTUs with propane ← Each unit is custom manufactured after the item is ordered. If you specify propane, they don't build a natural gas product and then convert to propane. I was told that the fittings were specifically designed to allow the full complement of gas to flow through with no loss in power.

I have two 22,000, one 15,000 and one 12,000 (simmer) BTU burner. BlueStar does not provide you with a high output burner, a wimpy simmer burner (this one goes from 350 to 12,000) and mediocre secondary burners. I can cook full blast on all of them. I also use the griddle to keep sauces warm and maintain temp or simmer. It's my compromise for not getting a flattop.

I neglected to mention that my rangetop is fueled with propane and the unit came propane-ready from the plant, thus giving me the full 22,000btu's and no loss in power. And as C.sapidus mentioned, a powerful hood is a must. I have a 900cfm Vent-a-hood that's 54"x27". The three extra inches all around allow for smoke-free grilling and wok cooking.

"So, here are things I'm looking for and hopefully someone can give me some advice: 1) Prefer a stove that can handle a low simmer and getting a wok red hot. 2) Continuous grate (or some other option) that makes moving pots and pans to the different burners easily. 3) Easy clean up - maybe a tray that can be pulled out and wiped, etc. 4) Wok ring option would be fantastic." I went with a BlueStar for all the same reasons. 1. It has a 350 BTU simmer burner(one of the lowest in the industry). 2. The movement of pots is very easy from grate to grate, at least front to back (the other two burners are at the opposite end with grill and griddle in between.) 3. It has easy to clean open burners and two pull out trays. 4. It does not need a wok ring. You simply flip over one of two 22,000BTU burner grates and the wok recesses into the open fire creating a lot of heat to stir-fry. 5. The burners are the same ones that Garland used for their now defunct semi-pro ranges. They are pretty awesome.

I'm happy with the Miele Platinum. It has a top cutlery rack, vertically adjustable racks for tall items, a heater to boost temperature to 160 and, best of all, I never have to pre-rinse. In fact, the instructions specifically state not to do it because the enzime detergent needs the dirt to effectively clean the dishes.

Wendy, You can't go wrong with Cuvee as they have pretty good food at reasonable prices. You will have to make reservations for Thanksgiving weekend ASAP as the wine scene in Carlton has exploded this past year (more tasting rooms every time you turn around). I'm helping friends pour their wine a couple of doors away (Dalla Vina-great, bold and amazing) and reserving now. Tina's has been hit-and-miss lately and our last meal there was acceptable, but not exceptional. The French Bear was recently sold and the jury is still out. If you're interested in some good food consider The Painted Lady in Newberg. It's a tasting menu with innovative and extremely well prepared food.

Happy Birthday, Sandy! Close to 50 is very good. It's the close to 60 that looms more suckily, so enjoy the next 10 years. When I logged on to Danielle Willey's blog I noticed your query about Ann Sathers and saw no reply. What can be said about such an institution? I've not lived in Chicago since 1979 but the Andersonville restaurant on north Clark street had the usual suspects-breakfast (really good ones) through dinner. What is most Proustian for me was their strawberry-banana pie. I'm not sure if it was the pie itself or the friends I enjoyed it with, thus harkening a more youthful and careless time, but the memories are as vivid as having tasted it yesterday.

Craig, That's where I normally shop. I stopped at Whole Foods to scope out the prosciutto situation. Besides, Pasta Works has more reasonable prices on cheese.

I was at the Whole Foods in Portland today and asked about the availability of Italian prosciutto (they only had La Quercia on display). The clerk's response was that they no longer stock the imports because the Italians use hormones. I alluded to the ban of live lobsters and now, great prosciutto. She seemed to take it well.

I have friends that own the large Kamado in the black finish. It has produced some of the juiciest, most tender smoked meats I have ever eaten. The best part is that they can calibrate the heat setting, walk away from it for 8-plus hours and come back to extraordinary fare. Me, I have to hobble along and check my smoker several times an hour because the temperature is all over the map.

Sandy, Also, eggs fried in goose or duck fat are delicious. Instead of butter, it's very good lightly smeared on bread with a sprinkling of sea salts or fleur de sel.

Interestingly enough, the tomatoes have been sheltered from the sun by the leaves above them. Last month, we had some miserably hot days in the Portland area while we were out of town. I wonder if some watering was done in the searing heat and the moisture stayed on the tomato. Would 100+ heat be sufficient to blanch them?

Rather than harvesting our larger tomatoes, I've been watching their tops whiten and slowly crack. I can't figure out why this is happening and I have no history to tap into as this is a new garden. We are at 900ft. elevation, but it's HOT, HOT up here. I know it's been a particularly warm summer and I can't shake the suspicion that this is sunburn, but the smaller tomatoes are doing just fine. Any ideas?

I second Clarklewis for dinner and Park Kitchen for lunch (I've had less luck there for dinner.) On the coast, Blackfish Cafe in Lincoln City is a winner. If you plan on wine tastings in the Valley, do consider The Painted Lady in Newberg. It has the tasting menu you are looking for and pretty terrific food.

Klary, We just took a trip to Bellingham to register our daughter at the university. It's an interesting drive up there and the scenery quite attractive for the last twenty miles into Bellingham. I heeded the recommendation of the Chowhounds in the NW and stopped at Mallard Ice cream. I was delighted with the Basil and the Cardammom flavors. The Rhubarb was pretty darned good, too. The scenery from Bellingham to Vancouver is worth the trip in that direction as you can always take the other route on your return from Canada. And, yes, you owe it to yourself to stay in Seattle. It's a vital metropolis with endless options for dining and exploring. Three weeks for a 1,200 mile trip is not unreasonable, assuming you will not be staying at most places longer than a day or two.

slkinsey, Relative beginner is an overstatement when it comes to my experience with mixed drinks. Being originally from Brasil, I can make a mean caipirinha and various batidas. Other than that, it's the Campari, Lillet and Pimm's Cup route during the dog days of summer. I've been drinking wine for so long that I've seriously neglected other alcoholic beverages. After helping some friends pour wine on Memorial Day weekend, we went out for dinner and various cocktails were ordered. I can honestly say that I experienced an epiphany while sampling some of them. Now I want to learn this new artform and be as proficient at it as I can be.

I'm not searching for the contrived and overly sweet concoctions. I am, however, very interested in the South American, Asian inspired and new takes on the old favorites. A couple of you have waxed poetic on the subject and I appreciate the information, but most of all, I really like your passionate prose. Thanks.

Admin: threads merged While browsing at Powell's Books for a decent Bartender's guide, I became overwhelmed. Since I have virtually no experience with the subject, I hoped some of you Spirits Gods could steer me in the right direction. I'd like a book that incorporates the old standards but also includes the newer spirits and mixes.

eJulia You have one in Beaverton. It's in the Beaverton Town Square on Canyon Rd. right before you get to 217.

Christopher Idone has a pretty decent grasp of Brasilian cooking. His "Brazil, a Cook's Tour" has some interesting recipes. There's a niche to be filled by whoever is enterprising enough to put out a good cookbook. As a Brazilian, I'd recommend the Time-Life series book dealing specifically with Latin America. There are some very good Brasilian recipes in it.

Since that's a cataplana, I'm hoping that clams with linguica, etc. will be making an appearance.

Stinkheads. When we lived in Alaska we were offered this delicacy. Fish heads (typically salmon) are buried in the ground for several months and exhumed for a special treat. I've eaten some pretty bizzare foods, but I couldn't imagine eating it.

Thank you, thank you! I have always thought I had an embarassment of riches with my 381 cookbooks. (There would have been more but I gave away hundreds when I moved from Chicago to Alaska, and then to Oregon.) My husband rolls his eyes when he sees another box of books from Powells or Amazon, but you have been an inspiration with your thousand-plus holdings . We'll soon be moving to our newly constructed home where I have asked the builder for a 14 foot wall of bookcases in the kitchen to house dishes and cookbooks. I have a lot of catching up to do.